The Debut
by Dayne Jung
Summary: When Don Billingsley get called up to the Major Leagues, the young baseball star tries to go up and produce. When he has trouble through his first game can he overcome it and have a good debut?


Jung - 5

Dayne Jung

Mr. Denton

CP English 10

13 September 2012

The Debut

One sunny day, I woke up and something was different. It must have been all of the messages that were on my cell phone that was when I knew that I just gotten called up to the major leagues. My name is Don, but most people call me Billingsley. I have probably been in the minor leagues for about one and a half years and my hard work has finally paid off. I played for the Omaha Storm Chasers, but I was getting called up to the Kansas City Royals. They wanted me to be there in the morning, so when I finally got there, it was still kind of surreal and I couldn't believe it at first.

I mean, I practiced with these guys in spring training, but I guess you can say that I didn't feel like I belonged. The first person I was introduced to was Mike Winchell. He was the starting center fielder and that was the position I played. I really respected Mike. Every time I played with him, he was always a good teammate and it seemed like he never got flustered out there. He was my competition, though, and if I wanted to play center field I had to beat him out, otherwise I would be in left field until I proved myself. Center field was always my dream, but hey, I was in the big leagues now and I pretty much knew I wouldn't play there at this time in my career.

We were getting ready to play the Detroit Tigers; they were a power house team. They were first in the division and They were starting their best pitcher. His name was Chris Comer. He won the Cy Young last year and it was looking like he could win it again this year. I still think that that when it came down to it that I could still hit off of this guy. We weren't quite ready to warm up and I was anxiously awaiting my Major League debut. Our team was second in the division and it was getting close to October. We were running out of time to come back. We were two games back in the division and we are a team that had huge hopes coming into the season. Finally, we start warming up and I am told I will be playing in left field. Kauffman Stadium, our home stadium, happens to be one of the deepest parks in the major leagues and our team always uses that to our advantage with not trying to hit homeruns like some teams who rely on something like that.

The game starts and I am batting second. I am standing there on the on-deck circle and thinking about all the fans, all the noise, and the best pitcher in the league standing there on the mound. When I got up to bat, I felt so small in the batter's box and I was so nervous I thought I could puke. First pitch was high and inside and it takes me completely off my feet, knocking me down into the dirt you could say that it may had been a message pitch or a welcome to the big leagues moment. Second pitch was in there for a strike and he threw me two fast balls straight and that was why I was sitting on the third one. When he gave it to me I drove it to right field, but it was only to be caught right at the warning track. It didn't matter though because after that I knew I was going to be alright and I couldn't wait to get back up again because I started to grow some confidence from that one at bat. However, before I knew it the ball was hit in my direction and I was slow to it as a bloop hit fell in and scored a run.

After the first inning we were down 1 to 0. I was Disgusted with myself because I wasn't even ready to make that play as I was dazing off. When I got back in the dugout I was waiting for my next at bat and I finally did in the third inning. When I was going up for my second at bat, I felt a lot better as I stepped in the batter's box. This time Chris Comer started me off with a fast ball as I swung way early, the second pitch I thought would be a slider, but he threw me a fast ball that froze me in the batter's box. That was when the Cy Young pitcher made his first mistake and threw his fast ball right down the middle as I hit it in the gap for a one out double. I got hit in by Mike Winchell who drove me in with a single.

Going into the fourth inning the game was tied up at 1-1. In the fourth, we had a one, two, three inning as our pitcher, Boobie Miles, was pitching a gem as the only run he gave up was a bloop hit that I should have caught very easily. When the sixth inning came around and we were up to bat our manager, Coach Chavez, told me to make something happen as I stepped into the batter's box. All the pressure was on Chris though as it looked like this time he feared me. That was when he pitched around me bringing up our best hitter, Mike Winchell. Boy, did Chris pay for that as Mike drove a big home run to the biggest part of the ball park, center field. Next, the Detroit manager came stomping out of the dugout and took the best pitcher in the game out. Chris was furious about it and he let everyone know about it by making a scene and yelling as he went into the dugout.

Next, they brought up a rookie that they had just called up from the minor leagues. He was coming out of the bullpen. He had been a starter in the minors, but now he comes in when a starting pitcher has a bad game because he can pitch like a starter. He fights hard and then proceeds to shut us down in the sixth inning executing his pitches nicely. The Tiger's come up in the seventh inning as they tie up the game as they turn around and score two runs with a big two out double. We are tied up! In the eighth inning, we went scoreless as they score a run in the eighth, heading into ninth inning. We have three more outs left as our leadoff hitter got on base with a hit to start things off. This was when our next two batters both got struck out. Next I stepped up to the plate and the first pitch was a fast ball outside. The second pitch I was too anxious and I ended up chasing a curve ball outside. The third pitch was another curve ball, but this time I relaxed and let the pitch go and from then on out I was thinking fast ball, That was exactly what I got. I put a good swing on it and started sprinting around the bases so excited thinking that I just won the game but after I rounded halfway to second I realize it is foul ball. I was crushed, but got refocused as I stepped back in with a two-two count. On the next pitch, the star pitcher throws me a curve ball and I barely got a piece of it as it went foul back to the backstop. The next pitch was another curve ball and no way was this one going foul as I crushed it over the left field wall giving a nice little bat flip after the hit. I was mobbed by my teammates. Once I reached home plate everyone began to celebrate.

After the game I was interviewed and my teammates took advantage of the opportunity to smear shaving cream across my face. I was given the game ball by my coach and I thought to myself that this was the life and baseball was something I wanted to do for a while.

In the club house, everyone was talking about how great the game was and how good it felt to give Chris Comer only his fourth loss of the season. That was my first major league game of the season and it was a nice one. I'm not saying it was perfect and I know I made some mistakes, but I came up big when it counted. I'll never forget that game and not because I did well, but because it was my first major league debut.

My family called me after the game and my phone was blowing up all night from friends and fans. It was so crazy, What a rush! I couldn't wait to get out to the field for my second game. Who would have thought a small town boy like me could turn into a star making millions of dollars every year. I got to this point for several reasons. The first is that I had set my goals really high and wrote them down and kept them hanging somewhere that I look every day to remember them better. Second, I worked hard my entire youth and had developed a great work ethic. Lastly, I had the greatest parents who always had faith in me and told me I could be a major league baseball player when a lot of parents wouldn't of said that they would of just blew them off and not really think that I could do something like that. I was the kid who everyone laughed at when they said what you are going to be when you grow up, and I would always give them the answer a major league baseball player.

I know that this is only my debut, but I am here to stay for a very long time and be a good example to kids and maybe be somebody's hero. I know I can be a good example to kids because I already feel like I can after just one game. I can only imagine what I will feel like with a whole season under my belt or even a few seasons. The funny thing is that my goal was never to be famous or to be rich, but the fame and money will be nice, but I'd also do it for the love of the game and that is why my debut will always be the most special game in my career.


End file.
